The Argument About Women Working Is Over

Serge Kozak / Corbis

Forty years ago, one-third of all workers were women; now nearly half are. Rather than increasing conflict or competition between the sexes, more than three-quarters of Americans (76% of men, 80% of women) view this as positive for society; only 19% say it's negative. And that view holds regardless of age, race or political ideology: 81% of African Americans view it as a positive change, along with 84% of Latinos, 88% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans.

The Abt SRBI poll of 3,413 adults (1,599 men and 1,814 women) was conducted by telephone between Aug. 31 - Sept. 15